Judicial Watch » Nancy Pelosihttp://www.judicialwatch.org
Because no one is above the law!Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:09:36 +0000en-UShourly1CIA Docs Obtained by JW in 2010 Show Congress Approved of Enhanced Interrogationhttp://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/12/cia-docs-obtained-jw-2010-show-congress-approved-enhanced-interrogation/
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/12/cia-docs-obtained-jw-2010-show-congress-approved-enhanced-interrogation/#commentsFri, 12 Dec 2014 16:54:59 +0000http://www.judicialwatch.org/?p=67478As some lawmakers purport to be stunned over the new CIA “torture report” the fact is Congress knew for years that enhanced interrogation techniques were being used on terrorists and in fact dozens of members were repeatedly briefed on the subject, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Back in 2010 Judicial Watch obtained government documents—once

]]>As some lawmakers purport to be stunned over the new CIA “torture report” the fact is Congress knew for years that enhanced interrogation techniques were being used on terrorists and in fact dozens of members were repeatedly briefed on the subject, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Back in 2010 Judicial Watch obtained government documents—once marked “Top Secret”—that reveal between 2001 and 2007, the CIA briefed at least 68 members of Congress on its interrogation program. This included so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques.” The dates of all congressional briefings and, in some cases, the members of Congress in attendance as well as the specific subjects discussed are included in the files. Pelosi, who has publicly denied she was briefed by the CIA on the use of these techniques, is specifically referenced in a briefing that took place on April 24, 2002, regarding the “ongoing interrogations of Abu Zubaydah.”

After being the subject of enhanced interrogation techniques, Zubaydah identified Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) as the mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks that killed thousands of innocent Americans. Before Zubaydah identified KSM, currently held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay Cuba, the 9/11 mastermind didn’t even appear in the intelligence community’s file of key Al Qaeda operatives or associates. KSM, in turn, provided valuable intel about another Al Qaeda jihadist, Majid Khan, who, in turn, identified a terrorist named Zubair who was subsequently captured. Zubair later provided information that led to the arrest of Al Qaeda’s South Asia leader.

These jihadists didn’t exactly provide this valuable information willingly over tea and biscuits. The CIA held meetings with legislators as it pursued broader authority for its interrogation program, which did not begin until the agency got legal guidance from the Department of Justice (DOJ). A separate CIA report obtained by JW details the effectiveness of enhanced interrogation techniques to thwart Al Qaeda operations in the United States and overseas. Nevertheless, President Obama banned the use of enhanced interrogation techniques during his first week in office in January 2009 and withheld information detailing the program’s successes. His allies in Congress did an about-face, pretending to be shocked and in the dark about the interrogation program they had been briefed about—and apparently endorsed—so many times.

When Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein proudly released the torture report this week, she said the document “examines the CIA’s secret overseas detention of at least 119 individuals and the use of coercive interrogation techniques—in some cases amounting to torture.” The veteran California senator also proclaimed that the enhanced interrogation techniques, which she compares to those used by torturous regimes during the Cold War, were not effective and that the CIA provided “extensive inaccurate information” about the program to policymakers. Furthermore, the CIA program was “far more brutal” than the agency represented to Congress, according to Feinstein.

CIA Director John Brennan defends the interrogation techniques and assures the agency obtained useful information as a result of the program, including intelligence that led to the death of Osama bin Laden. Interrogations of detainees produced intelligence that helped thwart attack plans, capture terrorists and save lives, according to a statement issued by the CIA this week. “The intelligence gained from the program was critical to our understanding of al-Qa’ida and continues to inform our counterterrorism efforts to this day,” the statement says, adding that the report’s characterization of how the CIA briefed Congress on the program is inaccurate. “While we made mistakes, the record does not support the Study’s inference that the Agency systematically and intentionally misled each of these audiences on the effectiveness of the program. Moreover, the process undertaken by the Committee when investigating the program provided an incomplete and selective picture of what occurred.”

]]>http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/12/cia-docs-obtained-jw-2010-show-congress-approved-enhanced-interrogation/feed/33Pelosi Touted Jobless Benefits While Jailed Killer Collected In her Statehttp://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2012/03/pelosi-touted-jobless-benefits-while-jailed-killer-collected-in-her-state/
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2012/03/pelosi-touted-jobless-benefits-while-jailed-killer-collected-in-her-state/#commentsTue, 06 Mar 2012 16:19:50 +0000http://www.judicialwatch.org/?p=12886An inconceivable story about a convicted murderer who for years collected unemployment benefits from jail has made national headlines though a crucial component, associated with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been left out. When Pelosi, a veteran California Democrat, was Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives she defended a controversial jobless benefits extension

]]>An inconceivable story about a convicted murderer who for years collected unemployment benefits from jail has made national headlines though a crucial component, associated with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been left out.

When Pelosi, a veteran California Democrat, was Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives she defended a controversial jobless benefits extension by asserting that it would somehow help create jobs. That’s right, Pelosi actually said that unemployment checks keep the economy churning, which in turn, “creates jobs faster than almost any other initiative you can name.”

Those brilliant words came when Democrats were trying to pass a measure extending unemployment benefits—paid by state treasuries and the federal government—which already last two years. Opponents called it a “fiscal insanity” because it was incredibly expensive and did nothing to create jobs or motivate the jobless to look for work.

Fast forward to a news report published this week by California’s largest newspaper. It outlines the unbelievable case of a convicted killer who raked in more than $30,000 in unemployment benefits from 2008 to 2010 while incarcerated in Los Angeles County. The murderer, a gangbanger who got caught because he proudly tattooed a graphic mural of the murder scene on his chest, had family and friends cash his monthly unemployment checks, according to the article.

It gets better. When the murderer’s contacts cashed the $1,600 monthly checks they would deposit a portion into his jail account and would share some of the money with his fellow incarcerated gang members. A captain with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the agency that operates jails there, said “it’s pretty appalling when you think about somebody sitting in jail collecting unemployment.”

It’s also appalling that Pelosi publicly advocated for this out-of-control federal program at the precise time that a murderous gangbanger was milking it in her own state. Adding insult to injury, authorities confirm the money was being “used to benefit a criminal gang.” Here are some examples, according to police in L.A.; “theft, drug sales and violent crime….”

More than 1.1 million people qualify for unemployment benefits in California, according to the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD). In 2011 the agency doled out $17.1 billion in benefits and this year it’s paying about $327 million a week. “These benefits provide critical sustenance to unemployed workers and their families, in addition to local businesses where much of the benefits are spent on basic needs,” the agency explains on its website.

]]>http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2012/03/pelosi-touted-jobless-benefits-while-jailed-killer-collected-in-her-state/feed/4Nancy Pelosi Campaign Finance Violationshttp://www.judicialwatch.org/bulletins/nancy-pelosi-campaign-finance-violations/
http://www.judicialwatch.org/bulletins/nancy-pelosi-campaign-finance-violations/#commentsFri, 09 Dec 2011 18:44:03 +0000https://www.judicialwatch.org/?post_type=inv_bull&p=11444In May 2008, Judicial Watch filed a campaign finance complaint with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) against Nancy Pelosi for her appearance in an advertisement which was part of the “We Campaign” paid for by Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection. In June 2009, the FEC announced that it had dismissed our complaint and that...

]]>In May 2008, Judicial Watch filed a campaign finance complaint with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) against Nancy Pelosi for her appearance in an advertisement which was part of the “We Campaign” paid for by Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection. In June 2009, the FEC announced that it had dismissed our complaint and that the advertisement was not electioneering nor an “in-kind” donation.

]]>http://www.judicialwatch.org/bulletins/nancy-pelosi-campaign-finance-violations/feed/0‘Air Pelosi’ Investigationhttp://www.judicialwatch.org/bulletins/air-pelosi-investigation/
http://www.judicialwatch.org/bulletins/air-pelosi-investigation/#commentsFri, 09 Dec 2011 18:43:00 +0000https://www.judicialwatch.org/?post_type=inv_bull&p=11443In March 2009, Judicial Watch received documents from the Department of Defense detailing Nancy Pelosi’s abuse of a system which provided military aircraft for the transportation of the Speaker of the House. The documents, which were acquired through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), detail the attempts by DOD staff to accommodate Pelosi’s numerous requests...

]]>In March 2009, Judicial Watch received documents from the Department of Defense detailing Nancy Pelosi’s abuse of a system which provided military aircraft for the transportation of the Speaker of the House. The documents, which were acquired through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), detail the attempts by DOD staff to accommodate Pelosi’s numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft as well as the speaker’s last minute cancellations and changes.

]]>http://www.judicialwatch.org/bulletins/air-pelosi-investigation/feed/0Taxpayers Finance Pelosi’s Lavish Hawaiian Farewellhttp://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2011/01/taxpayers-finance-pelosi-s-lavish-hawaiian-farewell/
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2011/01/taxpayers-finance-pelosi-s-lavish-hawaiian-farewell/#commentsWed, 05 Jan 2011 12:24:11 +0000https://www.judicialwatch.org/?p=1187Reminiscent of the scandal in which she used military aircraft as her personal taxi, Nancy Pelosi stuck it to U.S. taxpayers on her way out as House Speaker with a lavish Hawaiian vacation featuring secret service and local police motorcades financed by Americans.The famously corrupt California congresswoman spent her last days as Speaker at an exotic resort in Kona’s historic settlement

]]>Reminiscent of the scandal in which she used military aircraft as her personal taxi, Nancy Pelosi stuck it to U.S. taxpayers on her way out as House Speaker with a lavish Hawaiian vacation featuring secret service and local police motorcades financed by Americans.The famously corrupt California congresswoman spent her last days as Speaker at an exotic resort in Kona’s historic settlement of Ka’upulehu, according to a Hawaiian newspaper that’s working to get figures on local police and secret service costs. Not surprisingly, the feds refuse to provide details on Pelosi’s security detail and the Hawaii Police Department claims it can’t release the number of officers it dedicated to Pelosi’s motorcade, whether they were pulled from other duties or paid overtime.What’s certain, however, is that it cost big bucks and Americans are getting stuck with the hefty bill. Pelosi stayed in an elaborate suite of an exclusive “natural tropical paradise” that rents for $10,000 a night. She took a private plane to Hawaiiand was escorted throughout her trip by a motorcade of secret service and local police officers. Two Hawaii County Police vehicles camped outside the resort to guard Pelosi during her week-long stay, according to sources quoted in the story.During a similar jaunt to the big island’s chick Kona Coast last year, Hawaii Countytaxpayers dished out more than $21,000 for Pelosi’s local security alone. It’s not clear whether she arrived by private plane for that particular getaway, but it’s reasonable to assume she booked an Air Force jet since Pelosi used the military as her personal airline during her tenure as Speaker.In fact, the veteran lawmaker was crowned Air Pelosi after a lengthy Judicial Watch investigation uncovered evidence of her shocking abuse of military luxury travel. Internal Pentagon records obtained through public records requests document Pelosi’s numerous requests for military escorts and aircraft to ferry her and her family around. Other documents demonstrate that Pelosi used Air Force aircraft as her own personal party planes, racking up more than $100,000 for in-flight expenses such as food and alcohol.Pelosi has also been embroiled in several other scandals recently, including campaign finance violations, quadrupling the rent of her district office amid a dire financial crisis in her state and ignoring serious incidents of corruption within her own party after vowing to “drain the swamp” in Congress.

]]>http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2011/01/taxpayers-finance-pelosi-s-lavish-hawaiian-farewell/feed/0Judicial Watch Obtains Documents Regarding Congressional CIA “Torture Briefings”http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-obtains-documents-regarding-congressional-cia-torture-briefings/
http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-obtains-documents-regarding-congressional-cia-torture-briefings/#commentsTue, 23 Feb 2010 13:06:36 +0000Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has received the first batch of documents from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) regarding congressional “Torture Briefings.” The CIA produced the documents pursuant to a previous court order in Judicial Watch’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the...

]]>Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has received the first batch of documents from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) regarding congressional “Torture Briefings.” The CIA produced the documents pursuant to a previous court order in Judicial Watch’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the CIA (Judicial Watch v. Central Intelligence Agency, Case: 1:09-cv-01352). The court order stipulates that documents pertaining to congressional briefings on “enhanced interrogation techniques” must be provided to Judicial Watch by April 15. Additional documents are forthcoming.

According to the documents, previously marked “Top Secret,” between 2001 and 2007, the CIA briefed at least 68 members of Congress on the CIA interrogation program, including so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques.” The documents include the dates of all congressional briefings and, in some cases, the members of Congress in attendance and the specific subjects discussed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who previously denied she was briefed by the CIA on the use of these techniques, is specifically referenced in a briefing that took place on April 24, 2002, regarding the “ongoing interrogations of Abu Zubaydah.” Zubaydah had been subjected to the enhanced interrogation techniques.

Judicial Watch previously obtained documents from former Vice President Cheney’s office in a separate lawsuit that detail the effectiveness of “enhanced interrogation techniques.” According to a June 1, 2005, CIA report entitled, Detainee Reporting Pivotal for the War Against Al-Qa’ida, “Detainee reporting accounts for more than half of all HUMINT reporting on al-Qa’ida since the program began…” Interestingly, this fact was omitted in later versions of the report obtained by Judicial Watch. All versions, however, conclude: “One of the gains to detaining the additional terrorists has been the thwarting of a number of al-Qa’ida operations in the United States and overseas.”

Despite the apparent effectiveness of “enhanced interrogation techniques,” the federal government suspended their use in 2005 by passing the Detainee Treatment Act. President Obama officially banned the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” during his first week in office in January 2009. Two months later, in March 2009, President Obama overruled objections from national security officials and released documents detailing the government’s enhanced interrogation program (the so-called “torture” memos). However, President Obama initially withheld information detailing the results of this program, including alleged terrorist plots that the program prevented.

Moreover, according to an April 2009 CNN report, President Obama’s Intelligence Director, retired Admiral Dennis Blair, told colleagues in an April 16 memo on the subject of “enhanced interrogation techniques,” that “High value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qa’ida organization that was attacking this country.” This sentence was omitted from a version of the memo released by Blair’s office to the press.

“It is unfortunate that it took a federal court order to force the Obama administration to release these documents,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “These documents indicate that members of Congress approved of and were well aware of the use of these enhanced interrogation techniques and their lifesaving value. It is disturbing that we no longer use interrogation techniques that have demonstrably stopped terrorist attacks and saved American lives. The Obama administration has made this country less safe by its mishandling of the enhanced interrogation program.”